Sheet-metal can.



No. 779,339. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

A WULFE SHEET METAL GAN.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 2a, 1904.

' UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PaTENT OEFCE. l

SHEET-.METAL CAN.

SPECIFIGATIQN forming part of Letters Patenti-No. 779,339, dated January 3, 1905.1

l Application filed lim-ch 23, 1904. Serial No. 199,523.

To all whom t may concern: Be itvknown' that I, AUGUST WULFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city 1v'of New York, inthe borough of Brooklyn and 5 State of New York, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Cans, l'of which the following is a,full, clear, and ex- .r act'description..

` This invention relates to tin cans or other lo metallic receptacles of the sort in which a *cover is sealed on, .the cover being detached "by the' act of opening the can and being thereafter usable like an ordinary cover for closing ,the can. In constructing cans of this kind it 1,5 has been found difficult to form the can and cover so that after separation the latter may be easily slippedupon the former and made to'fit securely, and although some attempts have been made to overcomethis difficulty 20,still such structures are open to many objections, among which may be mentioned the `great`fault that considerable space must al- .ways be left between the cover and the coni tents of the sealed can. Objection exists not 125v only to the presence of a large body of airin the can, but also to the undesirable agitation which the contents often suffer in transporta- "1i tion owing to their not being closely confined ltand as well to the extra cost of material and 3C tof transportation and storage of the cans.

y The object of my inventioh is to produce a ,ifcan which before sealing can be filled almost or quite to the cover-plate, so that practically no room whatever may be wasted, no extra -3S cost for material, transportation, or storage i kentailed, and little if any agitation of the contents in handling and transportation of the can incurred, while after separation the cover 1 may fit readily and securely upon the can and elevation of an opened can, showingv how the,

SJc'oveij may be placed thereon after opening the can. Fig. 4 is a section' of .the parts seen at Fig. 3. I 1n the several views like signs identify'like parts.

The bodyl of the can is closed or sealed by 5 5 means of a cup-shaped reversible cover which comprises a cap or disk portion 2 and a cylindrical rim 3, whose edge is turned or rolled over a narrow flange 4, formed upon the edge of the can, as at 5, forming a tight joint 6o therewith. The portion of' the metal of the can within which the cover is inclosed consists of a strip 6, which, although integral with the can, is detachable, the strip being defined by scores 7- and 8, cut in thc can, thc upper score 7 65 immediately adjoining the iangei and the lower score 8 being at thc top of a neck 9, formed at the upper portion of the can-body. The strip may be torn 0E, so as to open thc can and separate the cover therefrom, and the lat- 7o ter may then be turned over and used as an 0rdinary cover, as at Figs. 3 and 4, the neck 9 being of such diameter as to fit snugly within the cover-rim 3 and of such depth as to permit a firm and substantial engagement of vsaid rim 7 5 therewith. When the strip G'is torn ofi", a fragment of the can, consisting of the flange 4, is left within the rolled-over edge of the rim and serves to stiften the latter, while the neck 9, being of cylindrical form and being Se left with a clean upper edge bythe tearing off of the strip, as seen at Figs. 1 and 4, fits readily within the cover, which, owing to the flaring form of its rolled-over edge, is readily slipped over said neck, said Haring portion 85'` portion 6 of greater diameter, which incloses the cover, said portion 6 being detachable, whereby the cover may be lifted from ,the canV fc5 and turned over'and replaced in its natural position upon said neck.' This detachable or l stripportion 6,it will be observed, flares outwardly and 'pwardlyfrom thescore 8, forming a seat within v'vlhich the reversible cover I 2O fits snugly, and the cap portion of the cover is thus brought close to that portion of the can-body that forms its upper edge when opened. vFrom thisl construction it will be understood that the can before sealing may be filled almost or quite to the level of' the scoreI 8, little or no air thus being` left between the contents and the cover-plate 2, which is a desideratuin` while a great economy of room is etlected by reason of the can being entirely filled, which is important not only because of the saving in cost of metal, which amounts to a great deal in articles of this kind, which are usually manufactured in large quantities, but alsobecause of' the reduction in cost of transportation and storage of the cans both before and after filling.

I am not aware of any prior can which can be filled aimos't or quite to the cover-plate and from which the'eover can be removed by tearing ofi' a detachable strip and then used as an ordinary cover without the removal of any of' the contents from the can.

The cover-rim 3 is preferably cylindrical and the Haring strip or, clipped f'oi'iii-thut is, having a substantiaiiy' cylindrical body and an interior fiange at its lower edgewthe cap portion or plate i2 of' the cover thus beingvenabled to lie in close proximity to the junction of the detachable'strip with the body of the can-that is, to the score 8. It is not essential in carrying out myiinvention that the strip 6 be formed integral with the body of the can, as lillustrated, although that is the preferred form, and said strip may, if desired, be formed or provided with a tab projecting beyond the vertical seam of the canbody, as usual, to form a hold f'or a rippingkey of' ordinary construction.

Having described my invention, i claim- 1. A tin can whose edge is formed witha fiange, the can being sealed by a cup-shaped reversible cover having a rini which is turned over said edge, and thei body of the can iinmediately below said cover being of suoli size as to be capable of fitting snugly within'said cover, a strip fitting around said rini and joining said flange to said body, said strip being detachable from both said body and said fiange.

2. A tin can formed at its mouth with a detachable integral strip which flares upwardiy and outwardly from its junction with the body',

and a reversible cover having a rim which fits.`

within said strip and is secured thereto to seai the can, the can at the junction of' the body with said strip being of such diameter that it may iit snugly within the riin of the detached cover.

3. A tin can closed by means of an inverted rimmed cover, the edge of the can having a v@ 51 narrow ange, the edge of the cover-rirn besuch depth as to permit afirni and substantial engagement of' said iini therewith.

4. A tin can formed with a flanged edge and with a detachable integral strip between the iiange and the body of' the can. `said strip fiaring upwardly and outwardly f'roin its junction with the body` and a reversible cover having a rim which fits within said strip to about the full depth thereofI and is rolled over said flange,

the can at the junction of' the body with said strip being of' such diameter that it Vmay fit snugly within theI rim of the detached cover.

A tin can fornied with a detachable integral strip of' cylindrical f'orni contractedPat its lower portion, the nietal of' the Canbeing Scored at the Junction of' the can-body with;-

said contracted portion, and a reversi ble CoverI having a Cylindrical iini Vfitting snugly within said strip, the can at ,the Junction of the body with the strip having cylindrical forni and, being of' such diameter that it may fit snugly within the rim of' the detached cover,

ln witness whereof' I subscribe inysignature in presence of' twowitnesses.

AUGUST WULFF.'

Witnesses:

FRANK S. Omni, NVAKLDO M. CHArIN. 

